U.S. patent number 7,090,779 [Application Number 10/969,161] was granted by the patent office on 2006-08-15 for manually operable water purifying device.
Invention is credited to Anna Johanna Bernstein, Lawrence Allen Bernstein.
United States Patent |
7,090,779 |
Bernstein , et al. |
August 15, 2006 |
Manually operable water purifying device
Abstract
A manually operated water purifying device which includes a
manually moveable operating member that pumps unpurified water into
a conduit where it is exposed to purification by an electrically
operated UV-C lamp and then dispensed from a portable container,
and the UV-C lamp is energized by an electric generator that is
also driven by a manually moveable operating member.
Inventors: |
Bernstein; Lawrence Allen
(Malibu, CA), Bernstein; Anna Johanna (Malibu, CA) |
Family
ID: |
34526721 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/969,161 |
Filed: |
October 20, 2004 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20050082235 A1 |
Apr 21, 2005 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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60512428 |
Oct 20, 2003 |
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60551138 |
Mar 9, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
210/748.11;
210/192; 210/416.3; 210/510.1; 210/244; 210/117 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C02F
9/005 (20130101); C02F 1/001 (20130101); C02F
1/283 (20130101); Y02A 20/212 (20180101); C02F
2201/009 (20130101); C02F 1/32 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
C02F
1/32 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;210/117,136,192,243,244,416.3,502.1,748 ;250/430,435,436
;422/24,186.3 ;222/189.11,190 ;204/660,665 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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3840276 |
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May 1990 |
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DE |
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4124843 |
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Jan 1993 |
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DE |
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4228860 |
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Mar 1994 |
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DE |
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1 421 804 |
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Jan 1976 |
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GB |
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2 088 651 |
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Jun 1982 |
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GB |
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2000-225391 |
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Aug 2000 |
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JP |
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2000-301139 |
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Oct 2000 |
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JP |
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WO 02/100780 |
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Dec 2002 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Savage; Matthew O.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kennedy Covington Lobdell &
Hickman, LLP
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is entitled to the benefit of, and claims priority
to, Provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/512,428, filed
Oct. 20, 2003 and entitled "WaterSAFE A Hand Powered Water Purifier
With Sink," and provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.
60/551,138, filed Mar. 9, 2004 and entitled "WaterSAFE 2A A Hand
Powered Water Purifier W/Sink," the entirety of each of which is
also incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for manually dispensing purified water comprising: a)
a container for holding a supply of water; b) a conduit through
which the water can be dispensed from the container; c) an
electrically operated water purifying means positioned within the
container to purify water that flows through the dispensing
conduit; d) an electric generator disposed within the container and
electrically connected to the water purifying means for operating
the water purifying means; and e) a manually movable operating
member that pumps water through the dispensing conduit during
manual movement thereof, and the operating member being operatively
connected to the electric generator to operate the electric
generator and the electrically operated purifying means during
manual movement of the operating member.
2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the operating member is
hollow, and wherein a hollow tube member is telescopically mounted
within the hollow operating member in open fluid communication
therewith and formed with an opening therein through which water
within the container can enter the hollow tube, and wherein a check
valve is mounted in the tube member to cause water to flow from the
operating member and the hollow tube through the dispensing conduit
when the operating member is manually moved in one direction
relative to the hollow tube and to cause water to flow into the
hollow tube through the opening therein when the operating member
is manually moved in the opposite direction relative to the hollow
tube.
3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the water purifying
means is disposed within the hollow tube.
4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the hollow tube is
mounted vertically in the container with the opening located
adjacent the lower end thereof, wherein the operating member is
telescopically mounted about the upper end portion of the hollow
tube for vertical movement relative to the hollow tube, and wherein
the dispensing conduit is mounted on the operating member in open
fluid communication therewith, whereby vertical movement of the
operating member in a downward direction relative to the hollow
tube pumps the purified water from the operating member to and from
the dispensing conduit and vertical movement of the operating
member in the upward direction creates a vacuum within the hollow
tube to draw water from the container into the hollow tube through
the opening therein.
5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein a compression spring is
disposed within the operating member and the hollow tube to bias
the operating member in an upward direction.
6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the electric generator
includes a drive shaft, and wherein a mechanical drive train is
interposed between the operating member and the drive shaft to
operate the generator when the operating member is manually
moved.
7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the operating member
has a rack formed thereon and wherein the mechanical drive train
includes a pinion mounted in meshing engagement with the rack.
8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the water purifying
means is a UV-C lamp.
9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the container is formed
with a waterproof compartment and wherein the electric generator is
mounted within the waterproof compartment.
10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the container is
provided with an inlet opening through which the container can be
filled with unpurified water, and wherein a charcoal filter is
mounted at the inlet opening to initially filter the unpurified
water.
11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the filter is an
activated charcoal filter.
12. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the container includes
a bowl-shaped detachable cover that can be detached and used as a
receptacle for water dispensed from the dispensing conduit.
13. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the dispensing conduit
is attached to the operating member, and wherein a handle shaped to
be easily grasp by a human hand is attached to the dispensing
conduit to permit the user of the apparatus to grasp the handle and
manually move the operating member.
14. A portable device for manually dispensing purified water
comprising: a) a container for holding a supply of water; b) a
conduit through which the water can be dispensed from the
container; c) an electrically operated water purifying means
positioned within the container to purify water that flows through
the dispensing conduit; d) an electric generator mounted on the
container and electrically connected to the water purifying means;
and e) manually movable operating means mounted in the container
for (i) simultaneously causing water to flow into the dispensing
conduit and operating the electric generator to cause the
electrically operated water purifying means to purify water flowing
into the dispensing conduit and (ii) dispensing the purified water
from the container through the dispensing conduit.
15. A portable device as defined in claim 14, wherein the operating
means includes a hollow operating member, and wherein a hollow tube
member is telescopically mounted within the hollow operating member
in open fluid communication therewith and formed with an opening
therein through which water within the container can enter the
hollow tube, and wherein a check valve is mounted in the tube
member to cause water to flow from the operating member and the
hollow tube through the dispensing conduit when the operating
member is manually moved in one direction relative to the hollow
tube and to cause water to flow into the hollow tube through the
opening therein when the operating member is manually moved in the
opposite direction relative to the hollow tube.
16. A portable device as defined in claim 15, wherein the water
purifying means is disposed within the hollow tube member.
17. A portable device as defined in claim 1, wherein the water
purifying means is a UV-C lamp.
18. A portable device as defined in claim 15, wherein the hollow
tube in mounted vertically in the container with the opening
located adjacent the lower end thereof, wherein the operating
member is telescopically mounted about the upper end portion of the
hollow tube for vertical movement relative to the hollow tube, and
wherein the dispensing conduit is mounted on the operating member
in open fluid communication therewith, whereby the vertical
movement of the operating member in a downward direction pumps the
purified water from the operating member to and from the dispensing
conduit and vertical movement of the operating member in the upward
direction creates a vacuum within the hollow tube to draw water
from the container into the hollow tube through the opening
therein.
19. A portable device as defined in claim 18, wherein a compression
spring is disposed within the operating member and the hollow tube
to bias the operating member in an upward direction.
20. A portable device as defined in claim 14, wherein the electric
generator includes a drive shaft, and wherein a mechanical drive
train is interposed between the operating member and the drive
shaft to operate the generator when the operating member is
manually moved.
21. A portable device as defined in claim 20, wherein the operating
member has a rack formed thereon and wherein the mechanical drive
train includes a pinion mounted in meshing engagement with the
rack.
22. A portable device as defined in claim 14, wherein the water
purifying means is a UV-C lamp.
23. A portable device as defined in claim 14, wherein the container
is formed with a waterproof compartment and wherein the electric
generator is mounted within the waterproof compartment.
24. A portable device as defined in claim 14, wherein the container
is provided with an inlet opening through which the container can
be filled with unpurified water, and wherein an activated charcoal
filter is mounted at the inlet opening to initially filter the
unpurified water.
25. A portable device as defined in claim 14, wherein the container
includes a detachable cover that can be detached and used as a
receptacle for water dispensed from the dispensing conduit.
26. A portable device as defined in claim 14, wherein the
dispensing conduit is attached to the operating means, and wherein
a shaped handle is attached to the dispensing conduit to permit the
user of the portable device to grasp the handle and manually move
the operating means.
27. Apparatus for manually dispensing purified water comprising: a)
a container for holding a supply of water; b) a conduit through
which the water can be dispensed from the container; c) an
electrically operated water purifying means positioned within the
container to purify water that flows through the dispensing
conduit; d) an electric generator disposed within the container and
electrically connected to the water purifying means for operating
the water purifying; e) a first manually movable member mounted on
the container for movement that pumps water from the container
through the conduit to be dispensed from the container, wherein the
first manually moveable member is a longitudinally extending member
that includes a handle portion for manually moving it; and, f) a
second manually movable member mounted for movement that operates
the electric generator to cause the water purifying means to purify
the water dispensed from the container through the dispensing
conduit, wherein the second manually moveable member is a gear
driving device mounted on the longitudinally extending member for
movement therewith.
28. Apparatus for manually dispensing purified water as defined in
claim 27, wherein the longitudinally extending member is hollow and
is telescopically mounted on a hollow tube within the container for
relative movement therewith to pump the purified water from the
container, wherein a drive drain is interposed between the electric
generator and includes a drive shaft for the electric generator and
a pinion mounted on the drive shaft, and wherein the gear driving
device is a rack that meshes with the pinion for operating the
electric generator.
29. A portable device for manually dispensing purified water
comprising: a) a container for holding a supply of water, the
container having a detachable cover and being formed with an
interior watertight compartment, and the container having an inlet
through which the container can be filled with unpurified water and
a charcoal filter mounted at the inlet opening to initially filter
the unpurified water; b) a hollow tube member mounted in the
container to extend upwardly therein, the hollow tube member having
at least one inlet opening in the bottom end portion thereof and
having a check valve mounted in the follow member so as to permit
water to flow from the container into the hollow tube member
through the opening and so as to prevent water from flowing out of
the tube member into the container through the opening; c) a
manually movable hollow operating member telescopically mounted on
the hollow tube member in open fluid communication therewith for
vertical movement relative to the hollow tube member to cause water
to flow into the hollow tube member through the opening and the
check valve when the operating member is moved in one direction of
vertical movement and to cause water to be blocked by the check
valve from flowing out through the opening and to flow out of the
operating member when the operating member is moved in the opposite
direction of vertical movement; d) a dispensing nozzle mounted on
the operating member to extend outwardly therefrom, the dispensing
nozzle being in open fluid communication with the operating member
to dispense water from the container when the operating member is
moved in its opposite direction of vertical movement; e) a rack
element fixed to the operating member for movement therewith; f) an
electric generator disposed within a watertight compartment of the
container, the electric generator being driven by a drive shaft and
a mechanical drive train that includes a pinion gear mounted in
meshed engagement with the rack; and g) an electrically operated
UV-C lamp disposed within the hollow tube and being electrically
connected to the electric generator to be energized thereby when
the operating member is moved vertically, whereby when the
operating member is manually moved in its vertical directions the
water in the container flows into the hollow tube and the UV-C lamp
is energized by the electric generator to purify the water and the
purified water is pumped from the container through the dispensing
nozzle.
30. Apparatus for manually dispensing purified water comprising: a)
a conduit through which the water can be pumped and dispensed; b)
an electrically operated water purifying means positioned in the
conduit for purifying the water within the conduit; c) an electric
generator electrically connected to the water purifying means to
supply electric current for operating the water purifying means;
and d) a manually movable operating member mounted for movement
that (i) pumps water into the conduit and out of the conduit and
(ii) drives the electric generator to generate the current for
operating the water purifying means.
31. A method of manually purifying and dispensing water, including;
a) providing a supply of water; b) utilizing a manually movable
operating member to cause the supply water to flow into a conduit;
c) positioning an electrically operated water purifying means
within the conduit; d) utilizing the manually movable operating
member to operate an electric generator electrically connected to
energize the water purifying means; and e) utilizing the manually
movable operating member to pump water purified by the water
purifying means from the container through the conduit.
32. A method of manually purifying and dispensing water as defined
in claim 31, wherein providing a supply of water includes filling a
container with supply water that passes through an inlet opening
having a filter therein.
33. A method of manually purifying and dispensing water as defined
in claim 31, wherein utilizing the manually operating member to
operate an electric generator includes moving a rack mounted on the
operating member to rotate a gear train for operating the electric
generator.
34. A method of manually purifying and dispensing water as defined
in claim 31, wherein utilizing a manually movable operating member
to cause the supply water to flow into the conduit includes
positioning the conduit to extend vertically within the container,
telescopically mounting the operating member on the vertical
conduit for vertical movement relative thereto, and causing water
to flow into and out of the conduit during the vertical movement of
the operating member.
35. A method of manually purifying and dispensing water as defined
in claim 31, wherein the method includes utilizing a biasing member
to bias the operating member in a vertical direction away from the
conduit.
36. A method of manually purifying and dispensing water as defined
in claim 31, wherein the method includes utilizing a check valve to
control the flow of supply water through the conduit.
37. A method of manually purifying and dispensing water as defined
in claim 31, wherein the method includes positioning a dispensing
nozzle to extend generally horizontally outwardly from the
operating member in fluid communication therewith, and causing the
purified water to be dispensed from the container through the
dispensing nozzle.
38. A method of manually purifying and dispensing water as defined
in claim 31, wherein the method includes locating a grasping handle
adjacent the top of the operating member and grasping the handle to
cause the vertical movement of the operating member.
39. A method of manually purifying and dispensing water as defined
in claim 31, wherein the method includes selectively attaching a
bowl-shaped cover to the body of the container to cover the
operating member and detaching the cover from the container to
provide a receptacle for the purified water dispensed from the
container.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a water purifying
device, and more particularly to a manually operable device for
purifying water and dispensing the purified water.
The increasing lack of any drinkable water throughout large
portions of the world is well documented, and this situation is
exacerbated by the fact that in many parts of the world there is
also no electrical power, solar power or batteries which are
necessary to operate conventional water purifying equipment.
Moreover, even in areas where drinkable water is generally
available, there are a significant number of situations where the
drinkable water cannot be accessed for various reasons. For
example, people who travel to remote areas, such as campers,
hikers, and the like, often find that fresh potable water is not
available at those areas. Additionally, there is always a risk that
the generally available water may become contaminated, at least
temporarily, by acts of God, terrorists, and other misfortunes.
As a result, there are a number of devices which are currently
available that can be used to filter and/or purify water. For
example, there are a number of portable devices which utilize
either an activated charcoal filter or a ceramic filter, or both,
through which questionable water can be pumped manually to improve
the quality of the water. These activated charcoal filters remove
some disagreeable components of questionable water, such as bad
taste, odors and colorations, but they do not purify the water in a
technical sense because they do not remove harmful microbes that
may be contaminating the water. The ceramic filters remove some,
but not all, of the microbes in the water, and the dense nature of
the ceramic filters can significantly increase the pumping power
needed to force the water through the ceramic filter.
There are also a number of devices which utilize solar power to
operate the water purifier, but these devices obviously depend on
the availability of significant sunlight or they are inoperative.
Also, even when they are operative, these solar purifiers are slow
in operation and often have a low capacity.
Finally, there are electrically-operated water purifiers that
include a UV-C lamp which is effective in killing most if not all
of the microorganisms in the water by breaking through the
microbe's outer membrane to cause modifications in its DNA, which
then transmits incorrect genetic codes and kills the microbes.
These devices, which may also include activated charcoal and/or
ceramic filers in combination with the UV-C lamp, do an excellent
job of purifying water that would otherwise be unfit to drink, but
all of these devices require an external electrical power source
that is connected to energize the UV-C lamp. However, in most
remote areas, no such external power source is available, and these
devices therefore are not operable in these areas.
Accordingly, there exists a significant need for a device that
utilizes an electrically-operated water purifying unit, such as a
UV-C lamp, that can kill harmful microorganisms in contaminated
water, and that is not dependent on the availability of an external
power source to energize the UV-C lamp and/or pump water through
and from the purifying device. It is also desirable to provide such
a device which is readily portable so that it can be easily carried
to remote areas.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Briefly summarized, the present invention provides an apparatus for
manually dispensing purified water that comprises a container for
holding a supply of water, and a conduit through which the water
can be dispensed from the container. An electrically operated water
purifying device is mounted in the container to purify water that
flows through the dispensing conduit, and an electric generator is
disposed within the container and is electrically connected to the
water purifying device for operating the water purifying device. A
first manually movable member is mounted on the container for
movement that pumps water from the container through the conduit to
be dispensed from the container, and a second manually movable
member is mounted on the container for movement that operates the
electric generator to cause the water purifying device to purify
the water dispensed from the container through the dispensing
conduit.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the first
manually movable member is a longitudinally extending member that
includes a handle portion for manually moving it, and the second
manually moveable member is a gear driving device mounted on the
longitudinally extending member for movement therewith. The
longitudinally extending member is hollow and is telescopically
mounted on a vertically extending hollow tube within the container
for relative movement therewith to pump the purified water from the
container, and the gear driving device is a rack that is connected
to a drive train for operating the electric generator. Preferably,
the operating member and the hollow tube member are in open fluid
communication with one another and the hollow tube member is formed
with an opening therein through which water within the container
can enter the hollow tube, and a check valve is mounted in the
hollow tube member to cause water to flow from the operating member
and the hollow tube member through the dispensing conduit when the
operating member is manually moved in one direction relative to the
hollow tube and to cause water to flow into the hollow tube through
the opening therein when the operating member is manually moved in
the opposite direction relative to the hollow tube. A compression
spring may be disposed within the operating member and hollow tube
member to bias the operating member away from the hollow tube.
The water purifying device is preferably a UV-C lamp that is
located within the hollow tube member.
The container is preferably formed with a watertight compartment in
which the electric generator is mounted, and may also include an
inlet opening having an activated charcoal filter mounted therein
through which the container can be filled with unpurified water.
The container may also include a bowl-shaped detachable cover that
can be selectively detached and used as a receptacle for water
dispensed from the container.
To make the operating member easier to move manually, the operating
member may be attached to a dispensing conduit extending outwardly
therefrom, and a shaped or other handle may be attached to the
dispensing conduit to permit the user to grasp the handle and move
the operating member.
The present invention also provides a method of manually purifying
and dispensing water from a container, which includes providing a
supply of water within a container and utilizing a manually movable
operating member to cause the supply water to flow into a conduit;
positioning an electrically operated water purifying device close
to the water within the conduit and utilizing the manually movable
operating member to operate an electric generator electrically
connected to energize the water purifying device; and utilizing the
manually movable operating member to pump water purified by the
water purifying device from the container through the conduit. The
method also preferably includes filling the container through an
inlet opening having a filter therein.
The method may include positioning a hollow tube member to extend
vertically within the container, telescopically mounting the
operating member on the hollow tube member for vertical movement
relative thereto, and utilizing a check valve to cause the
operating member to pump water into and out of the hollow tube
member during the vertical movement of the operating member. A
compression spring may be utilized to extend between the hollow
tube member and the vertically movable operating member to normally
urge the operating member in a vertical direction away from the
hollow tube member.
Finally, such method preferably includes providing a bowl-shaped
detachable cover, selectively attaching the cover to the body of
the container to cover the operating member and selectively
detaching the cover from the body of the container to provide a
receptacle for the purified water dispensed from the container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present
invention with the cover attached to the body of the container;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to the view in FIG. 1 with the cover
detached from the body of the container;
FIG. 3 is a top view of the container illustrated in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation sectional view taken through the center
of the container illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a detail exploded view of the manually movable operating
member and related elements;
FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the drive train for the
generator;
FIG. 7 is a detail view showing an arrangement for filling the
container with water;
FIG. 8 is a side elevation sectional view of another embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a detail view showing an alternate embodiment of the
inlet opening for the unpurified water.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Looking now in greater detail at the accompanying drawings, FIGS. 1
and 2 are perspective views of one embodiment of the water
purifying apparatus of the present invention. The water purifying
device includes a container 10 that is preferably circular in
configuration and a cover 14 that is threadably connected to a base
portion 12 so as to be selectively detachable therefrom. A seal 13,
which may be an O-ring or gasket or an equivalent conventional
sealing member, is positioned between the base portion 12 and the
cover 14 to provide a seal when the cover 12 is attached to the
base portion 12 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The cover 14 is
bowl-shaped as best illustrated in FIG. 2, and it may be readily
detached from the base portion 12 to form a receptacle of water
dispensed from the container 10 as will be explained in greater
detail below. The cover 14 also is provided with a handle 16 that
can be pivoted between a stored position when the cover is serving
as a receptacle as illustrated in FIG. 2 and when the cover 14 is
attached to the base portion 12 as illustrated in FIG. 4, and an
extended position as illustrated in FIG. 1 to act as a handle for
carrying the container 10.
As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the top wall 18 of the base portion
is formed with an opening in which a generator chamber 20 may be
inserted to extend downwardly from the top wall 18. A lid 22 is
placed across the top of the generator chamber 20 so that the
generator chamber 20 forms a water tight compartment within the
base portion 12.
The top wall 18 is also formed with a second opening in which is
mounted a filter housing 26 for retaining a filter 28 (see FIG. 4),
which is preferably a conventional activated charcoal filter. The
filter housing 26 includes a removable filler cap 30 for closing
the filter housing 26. When the filler cap 30 is removed, the
filter housing 26 constitutes an inlet opening through which the
base portion 12 can be filled with water that is initially filtered
by the filter 28.
As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the top wall 18 of the base portion
12 is formed with an upstanding annular flange 32 having an
exterior surface that is threaded. A longitudinally extending
hollow tubular member 34 extends downwardly through the annular
flange 32 and into the interior of the base portion 12 where it is
telescopically mounted for vertical movement on a stationary
upstanding hollow tube 36. A dispensing nozzle 38 is mounted at the
upper end of the longitudinally extending member 34 by an insert
portion 40 so that the longitudinally extending member 34 is in
open fluid communication with the interior of the dispensing nozzle
38. A set screw (not shown) may extends through the upper end of
the longitudinally extending member 34 and the insert portion 40 to
securely hold the dispensing nozzle 38 in place, but also
permitting it to be detached from the longitudinally extending
member 34, if necessary. The dispensing nozzle 38 is also formed
with a generally spherical handle 44, and a conduit 46 that extends
outwardly from the longitudinally extending member 34 in open fluid
communication therewith. However, it will be understood that the
spherical handle 44 could have other shapes designed to be easily
grasped by a human hand. Finally, the dispensing nozzle 38 is
provided with a downwardly extending annular flange 48 that is
threaded along its interior surface for a purpose to be described
in greater detail below.
As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the hollow tube 36 includes an
enlarged lower portion 36' that includes outwardly extending
flanges that are secured to the bottom wall of the base portion 12.
The hollow tube 36 and its enlarged lower portion 36' are
preferably formed as two separate pieces that are joined together,
or they may be one integrally molded piece. Preferably, the hollow
longitudinally extending member 34, the hollow fixed tube 36 and
the enlarged portion 36' are made from a conventional clear or
translucent polymer for a purpose that will be described in more
detail below. The enlarged lower portion 36' is provided with a
plurality of openings 50 (see FIG. 5) through which water within
the base portion 12 can flow into the enlarged lower portion 36'.
Also, a check valve 52 (see FIG. 4) is mounted within the hollow
tube 36, and in the preferred embodiment of the present invention
the check valve is in the form of a conventional flap valve which
rotates 90.degree. between an open position at which the flap
extends generally parallel to the axis of the hollow tube 36 and a
closed position at which the flap extends across the diameter of
the hollow tube 36.
The bottom wall of the base portion 12 includes an opening that is
normally covered by a bottom cap 54 attached to the bottom wall by
screws 56 or equivalent attachment elements, and an O-ring or
gasket 57 is disposed between the bottom wall of the base portion
12 and the cap 54 to provide a water tight connection. When the
bottom cap 54 is removed, a an electrically operated water
purifying means in the form of UV-C lamp 58 can be inserted into
the enlarged lower portion 36', and the UV-C lamp 58 is maintained
within the enlarged lower portion 36' when the bottom cap is
reattached to the bottom wall of the base portion 12, all as best
seen in FIG. 4. The UV-C lamp 58 is conventional and may be any one
of a number of such lamps that are available on the open market,
such as a Phillips Model TUV 5W PL-S lamp which is a 254 namometer
lamp. The electrically operated UV-C lamp 58 is electrically
connected to an electric generator 60 by an electrical line 62 that
extends from the UV-C lamp 58 through a cable conduit 64. The
electrical generator 60 is mounted within the above-described water
tight generator chamber 20, and, if necessary or desired, a ballast
66 for the generator 60 can also be mounted in the generator
chamber 20.
As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, the generator 60 is driven through a
drive train that includes a pinion gear 70 to mesh with the rack 76
(see FIGS. 4 and 5), fixed to the lower portion of the
longitudinally extending member 34 extending around the entire
circumference of the longitudinally extending member 34 so that the
pinion gear 70 remains in meshing engagement with the rack 76
regardless of the rotational position of the longitudinally
extending member 34 and the dispensing nozzle 38. As best seen in
FIG. 6, the pinion gear 70 is mounted at the end of a drive shaft
68 which extends to a connection with a conventional slip clutch
72. An output shaft 74 from the slip clutch 72 extends to a
conventional planetary gear drive 75 which, in turn, has an output
shaft 78 that drives the electric generator 60. This output shaft
78 extends through the electric generator 60 to provide a stub
shaft 80 on which is mounted a fly wheel 81. All of the components
in the drive train for the electric generator 60 are conventional
and can be selected from a variety of such components that are
readily available on the open market, depending on the size of
water purifying device, the desired output of the electric
generator 60, and other variables. The operation of this drive
train will be explained in greater detail below.
A unique arrangement for filling the base portion with a supply of
water to be purified is illustrated in FIG. 7. The above-described
base portion 12 includes a circular flange 88 that projects
upwardly from the top wall 18 of the base portion 12, and this
flange 88 is threaded at both its interior and exterior surfaces.
The filter housing 26 includes exterior threads at its top portion,
and the filter housing 26 is mounted in the top wall 18 by
engagement with the interior threads on the flange 88. Normally,
the opening at the top of the filter housing 26 is closed by the
filter cap 30, which is threadably mounted on the exterior threads
of the flange 88. When it is necessary to fill the base portion 12
with water the filter cap 30 is rotated and removed from the flange
88, and a funnel 90 having threads at its lower end is screwed onto
the exterior threads of the flange 88 in place of the filter cap
30. This funnel 90 makes it easier to pour water into the base
portion 12, and when the filling operation is completed, the funnel
90 is removed and replaced with the filter cap 30.
In use, the above-described embodiment of the water purifying
device of the present invention is preferably made small enough and
light enough that it is portable but large enough to hold a good
supply of water. The device can be easily carried from place to
place using the handle 16 in its extending position as illustrated
in FIG. 1. When it is being transported, or is otherwise not in
use, the moveable longitudinally extending member 34 is pushed
downwardly by grasping the generally spherical handle 44 and
pushing it down against the bias of a coil spring 82 (see FIG. 4)
that is interposed between the downwardly extending threaded flange
48 and the fixed hollow tube 36 to normally bias the moveable
longitudinally extending member 34 in an upward direction away from
the fixed hollow tube 36 as best illustrated in FIG. 4. When the
longitudinally extending member 34 is pushed downwardly to the
position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, the downwardly extending
threaded flange 48 engages the threads on the upstanding annular
flange 32, and the dispensing nozzle 38 can then be rotated a few
turns until the longitudinally extending member 34 is held in place
by its threaded engagement with the upstanding annular flange 32,
and the dispensing nozzle 38 is located within the confines of the
cover 14 as also illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 4. The cover
14 can then be secured to the base portion 12 by turning the cover
14 until the threaded portion thereof engages the threaded portion
of the base portion 12. It will be understood that the coil spring
82 which is seated at both ends thereof could be eliminated, in
which case the longitudinally extending member 34 would be moved
manually by the user in both its upward and downward directions.
While the coil spring 82 provides assistance in automatically
urging the longitudinally extending member 34 toward its raised
position, it also creates a bias that must be overcome by the user
in pushing the longitudinally extending member 34 in its downward
direction. Therefore, the water purifying device of the present
invention could be produced with or without the coil spring 82.
When it is desired to use the water purifying device of the present
invention, the cover 14 is rotated until it is disengaged from the
threads of the base portion 12, and the cover 14 can then be turned
upside down and placed adjacent to the container 10 as best
illustrated in FIG. 2. Because the cover 14 is bowl-shaped, it can
serve as a receptacle for purified water dispensed from the water
purifying device. The dispensing nozzle 38 is then rotated through
a few turns until it is disengaged from the upstanding annular
flange 32, and the longitudinally extending member 34 then
automatically moves to its most upward position under the influence
of coil spring 82 as illustrated in full lines in FIG. 4 if the
coil spring 82 is used. If the coil spring 82 is not used the
longitudinally extending member 34 is raised manually by the user.
The base portion 12 of the container 10 is then filled with
unpurified or questionable water which may be available at remote
locations by pouring the supply of water into the base portion 12
of the container 10 through the activated charcoal filter 28 using
the funnel 90 as described above. This initial filtration by the
activated charcoal filter 28 absorbs organic particles that cause
offensive water discoloration, odor, and taste. However, this
supply of water is still unpurified to the extent that it may
contain unsafe microorganisms.
When it is desired to dispense purified water from the water
purifying device of the present invention, the user grasps the
generally spherical handle 44 on the longitudinally extending
member 34, which is now at its raised position, and pushes
downwardly. This downward movement of the longitudinally extending
member 34 causes the head of water above the check valve 52 to
close the check valve 52, and therefore this downward movement
forces any water that is above the check valve 52 and within the
fixed hollow tube 36 and the longitudinally extending member 34 to
be pumped upwardly through the conduit 46 and the dispensing nozzle
38 where it can be collected in the inverted bowl-shape cover 14 as
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, or into any other suitable receptacle
(not shown).
At the same time, the downward movement of the rack 76 fixed to the
lower end of the longitudinally extending member 34 turns the small
pinion gear 70 which causes the electric generator 60 to be
operated through the drive shaft 68 and the drive train between the
small pinion gear 70 and the generator 60. More specifically, the
slip clutch 72 is designed to transmit the rotational input of the
drive shaft 68 directly to the planetary gear 75 during downward
movement of the longitudinally extending member 34, and the
planetary gear 75 is designed to increase the RPMs of the drive
shaft 68 and the intermediate shaft 74 to the RPMs required to
operate the generator 60. When the electric generator 60 is
operated, it generates electrical current which is transmitted
through electrical line 62 to the UV-C lamp 58 so that it becomes
illuminated and acts to purify water which is in the lower portion
of the fixed hollow tube 36 below the check valve 52. Moreover,
since the hollow tube 36 and the enlarged lower portion 36' are
preferably formed of a clear, translucent polymer as described
above, energization of the UV-C lamp 58 causes it to radiate and
purify the supply of water contained by the base portion 12, as
well as upwardly through both the hollow tube 36, the flap valve
52, and the hollow longitudinally extending member 34. Also,
because the hollow tube 36 and the longitudinally extending member
34 are clear or translucent, the user of the water purifying device
will be able to easily confirm that the UV-C lamp 58 is operating
properly because the light generated by the UV-C lamp 58 will be
visible when the longitudinally extending member 34 is in its
raised position.
The user then quickly raises the longitudinally extending member
34, which creates a vacuum that opens the check valve 52 and causes
unpurified water within the container 10 to be drawn in through the
openings 50 and into the fixed hollow tube 36 and upwardly into the
hollow longitudinally extending member 34. At the same time, the
rack 76 again rotates the pinion gear 70 and the drive shaft 68 in
an opposite direction of rotation, as compared with downward
movement of the longitudinally extending member 34. In this
direction of rotation, the slip clutch 72 slips so that no
counter-rotation is applied to the planetary gear 75 and no driving
force is applied to the generator 60. However, since the fly wheel
81 is driven with the generator 60 during the downward movement of
the longitudinally extending member 34 through stub shaft 80, the
inertia of the rotating fly wheel 81 will continue to operate the
generator 60 during the upward movement of longitudinally extending
member 34 so that if the longitudinally extending member 34 is
moved quickly between its downward and upward directions, the
generator 60 will be operated continuously to energize the UV-C
lamp 58. Thus, as described above, the manually moveable
longitudinal member 34 with the rack 76 mounted thereon forms a
manually movable operating means for causing water to flow into and
out of the conduit 46 and for operating the electric generator 60
to energize the UV-C lamp 58 to purify the water.
By continuously moving the longitudinally extending member 34
upwardly and downwardly in repeated cycles, it will be apparent
that during each downward movement of the longitudinally extending
member 34 purified water will be dispensed from the container
through the dispensing nozzle 38, and during each upward movement
of the longitudinally extending member 34 unpurified water is
pumped into the fixed hollow tube 36 and the longitudinally
extending member 34 which is purified before it is dispensed during
the next operating cycle. In some cases where the water purifying
device of the present invention has not been used for some period
of time, it may be advisable to go through several dispensing
cycles without collecting the dispensed water which may not have
been fully purified during the start up cycles. Thereafter, any
quantity of purified water can be dispensed and collected in the
cover 14, as may be desired. It will also be readily apparent that
the operation of the longitudinally extending member 34 and the
operation of the rack 76 are both entirely manual, and it is not
necessary that there be any external power source available to
operate the UV-C lamp 58 to fully purify the water that is
dispensed.
An alternate embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
FIG. 8. The elements illustrated in FIG. 8 which are functionally
equivalent to the corresponding elements described above in
connection with the embodiment of the present invention illustrated
in FIGS. 1 7 have the same reference numerals, and therefore do not
require a duplicate description.
In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, there is no detachable
cover element, and a receptacle 86 is formed directly in the
container 10 itself for receiving water dispensed from the
dispensing nozzle 38. The top wall of the container 10 is formed
with a fixed handle 16 which permits the device to be easily
carried. In this embodiment, the generator chamber 20 is mounted in
the side wall of the container 10 rather than the top wall as in
the first above-described embodiment. Also, the rack 76 does not
extend around the entire circumference of the moveable
longitudinally extending member 34, although it could be if
desired. Finally, in the FIG. 8 embodiment the dispensing nozzle 38
is shaped to be easily grasps by a human hand, and the user simply
grasps the shaped dispensing nozzle 38 itself to move the
longitudinally extending member 34 upwardly and downwardly, and in
this embodiment the check valve 52 is a conventional spring-loaded
ball valve. If desired, the dispensing nozzle 38 could be provided
with a spherical handle like handle 44 shown in the embodiment of
FIGS. 1 7.
FIG. 9 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the location of the
check valve 52. In this embodiment, rather than being located
within the fixed hollow tube 36, the check valve 52 is attached to
an inlet tube 84 that extends to a lower position within the
container 10 and an opening in the side wall of the fixed hollow
tube 36. If this alternate embodiment of the check valve 52 is used
in connection with either of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1
7 or FIG. 8, the lower end of the fixed hollow tube 36 would not
have any inlet openings and all of the unpurified water would be
pumped into the fixed hollow tube 36 through the inlet tube 84.
In view of the aforesaid written description of the present
invention, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled
in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad
utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the
present invention other than those herein described, as well as
many variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will
be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention
and the foregoing description thereof, without departing from the
substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the
present invention has been described herein in detail in relation
to preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this
disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present
invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and
enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is
not intended nor is to be construed to limit the present invention
or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations,
variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present
invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the
equivalents thereof.
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